a bad day in britain and norway

last night there were reports of bombing and shooting attrocities in oslo,norway.so today started with coming to terms with the shooting of 80 or more young people,and the death in the city bombing of at least another 7 people for which a very aryan,nordic,scandinavian right wing racist has been arrested.socialist worker her in britain reports that he had links with the edl/english defence league which itself has trashed a mosue in luton,on thursday night-friday morning leaving swastika and edl gradditti in addition to smashed windows.

the later today news has reported the unexplained death of the r&b star amie winehouse.some of the mainstream press are repeating the character assassinations they have always traded in,in their reports of her troubled life.some of that trouble goes with giving such emotional and powerful expression to emotion and pain.some of it goes with coping with the lazy and intrusive journalism that is itself now at least partly in the spotlight.some of it probably goes with simply trying to lead a life in increasingly oppressive and exploitative conditions.there was a time when the music industry provided some kind of escape or partial alternative to banal hard labour under capitalism.now that space has evaporated as the standrads of heavy industry are now applied in the entertainment industry too.it may lead to some kind of fame and fortune but at what kind of price.....

our class,"our" culture and her gender have lost a performer who gave expression to her personhood,and our pains.she has touched many.

we should not cover over her flaws and troubles but we should put them in context as her story emerges more fully.we should celebrate her personhood,her talent and creativity along with her edpression of what is both hers and ours.it is more than a pity that such celebration is accompanied by loss for others and her death.

as i write this the repeated loop of less than ahandful of her key songs on one of the tv stations touches me again.another lost sister no longer with us to cry for-there are always too many.i hear the words which are both perswonal and ours.rich strings and wonderful production,such powerful brass sections and loose drums like she is playing in the room and singing for me.

listen to her music again.her songs are all we have...and the memories.to accompany us in struggle and in our own lives.....the rest is silence

her music crossed over and linked races and gendersw.in amy winehouse we have a creative achievement to celebrate....in the racism and hate of the edl and an oslo racist we have nothing to ease the pain their destruction has imposed on too many.

they shall not pass.we should do everything we can to reject this racist intolerance without replicating it.we jabe a better world to build.the songs of anie winehouse can provide our soundtrack